MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem, the largest thermoplastics resins producer in the Americas and the worldwide leader in bio-polymers, has announced its has expanded focus on the research, development and commercialization of chemicals and materials sourced from renewable feedstocks, as per the company's press release.
Braskem started a new operation in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. The activities will include biotechnology and material science R&D, business and market development as well as technology scouting for key strategic partnerships.
Gustavo Sergi, Braskem Renewable Chemicals Business Director, stated, "Renewable chemistry will lead the next wave of development in chemicals and polymers. Our announcement today reinforces Braskem's position at the forefront of this movement. As we look forward, by developing and leading the next wave of renewable chemicals and polymers, we are bringing our customers new and innovative choices."
"The operation in Boston will complement the metabolic engineering capabilities that we have in our Renewable Chemistry Research Center in Campinas (Brazil) as well as our material science competencies present in our R&D centers in Triunfo (Brazil) and Pittsburgh (USA). In addition, this location positions Braskem in a strategic ecosystem that will enable us to leverage key partnerships for research and market development," explains Mateus Schreiner Garcez Lopes, Braskem Head of Innovation in Renewable Technologies.
To lead the R&D initiatives in Boston the company has appointed Dr. Daniel P. MacEachran as new Head of Metabolic Engineering. Dr. MacEachran joins Braskem from Greenlight Biosciences, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company focused on the sustainable production of chemicals, having most recently served as Director of Applications Research & Development. He also served as a Visiting Scientist and Post-Doctoral Researcher to the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As MRC wrote previously, in October 2017, Petrobras’s (Rio de Janeiro) minority stakes in Braskem and Deten Quimica were excluded from Petrobras’s divestment program, according to a government decree. The decree prevents Petrobras from immediately selling its minority stake in Braskem, which had been announced last year. A new decree will be required to release the stock sale.
Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Braskem exports to clients in approximately 100 countries and operates 41 industrial units, which are located in Brazil, United States, Germany and Mexico, the latter in partnership with the Mexican company Idesa.
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